Inside Rachel Zoe's Studio

Ummm, yeah, can you say BANANAS! Talk about a sea of shoes! The celebrity stylist has hundreds of pairs of shoes lined up for her clients, with everything from Louboutin and Zanotti to YSL and Blahnik. We can't even begin to imagine what it would feel like to open the door to the studio everyday and come face to face with the fiercest heels in the world! You know Rachel and Taylor (heck, probably Brad, too) are always tempted to slip on a pair. WERQ!

BONUS: Let's see how many styles we can identify! I know the photo is pretty small and each shoe looks miniscule in comparison to the whole collection but let's try. I've spotted a D'Orsay Pump by Manolo.

YSL S/S 2010- "Melinda"

"Melinda", directed by Samuel Benchetrit and starring his son Jules, opened the Yves Saint Laurent Spring 2010 men's show.

I just had to share this with you guys! Aside from the film used to open the Gareth Pugh F/W 09 show, this is probably one of the best video presentations I've ever seen. It is becoming more and more common for designers to introduce their collections with video installations because they introduce viewers to the themes and moods of a collection before the clothes hit the runway. More often than not, however, I've found that the video presentations are just too.....much. Not this one, however! "Melinda" is nothing more than coherent, artistic, beautifully directed, and a pleasure to watch. A+

"A" for effort?

OK. So in no way, shape, or form do I consider Paris Hilton to be a style icon. On the contrary, her fashion sense is quite questionable at times (Nikki, on the other hand, usually always gets it right). Anyway, I couldn't help but smile when I saw this picture of her rocking those Eiffel heels from the S/S 09 Yves Saint Laurent collection. I mean, WOW! In Los Angeles?!?!?! It's not often that you see celebrities taking risks like this off the red carpet and without the help of a stylist...especially ones like Paris Hilton. What do you think? Does Paris get an "A" for effort or did she fail miserably?

YSL x PUMA

Following their collaboration with Alexander McQueen (which was pretty boss, by the way), Puma is now teaming up with Yves Saint Laurent. Under the watchful eye of designer Stefano Pilati, the two companies have created a men's high-top sneaker which is very high fashion but, yet, at the same time has a lot of sportswear influence. Available in black leather and gray suede, the sneaker is currently in YSL boutiques worldwide and will be sold online exlusively on YSL's U.S. site.

Can YOU spot the fake: YSL vs. Bakers

This one should be easy for you.

Which one's the S/S 09 "Tour d'Eiffel"-inspired YSL heel and which one, well....isn't?

Item of the Day: YSL Sequin Jumpsuit

Yves Saint Laurent Sequin Strapless Jumpsuit

from Net-a-Porter
$4,350

Don't Quote Me

"Modern androgynes don’t want to confuse gender identities, but draw the best qualities from both."-Stefano Pilati on his unisex collection for YSL

Are your latest treasures really just last season's pumps?

Are this season's pumps just a fleeting memory???

I've been pondering this issue for quite some time now and I thought it would make a very interesting topic for discussion: would you buy a pair of fashion heels fresh off the runway? This past season I wasn't so much blown away by the clothing in certain collections but, rather, it was the high heels which captivated me so. From the sculpted pumps at Christian Dior to the tribal-inspired feathered heels at Louis Vuitton, I couldn't keep my eyes off what the models were wearing on their feet. Obviously such fancy footwear is a little out of my league (although I do wish more attention could be given to men's shoes), but I still couldn't wait for those heels to arrive on the sales floor at Saks, Barney's, and Bergdorf. I was just dying to spot a woman walking down the street in a soaringly high pair so that I could yell, "Hey, I love your shoes! Rodarte, non?"

But, as the shows in Milan and Paris ended so did my fantasy and I slowly floated back into my own life. Occasionally, however, I would stumble across a $950 pair of sequined Miu Miu pumps on Net-a-Porter or see those feathered Louis Vuitton heels in ELLE listed at over $2,000. Then they announced "recession" and I began to think, "Who is buying these outrageously priced shoes? I mean not only are they impossible to walk in, but they're also going to be sooooo dated!" It's such a shame. The heels are beautiful and no doubt exquisitely made, but how long are they actually wearable? You pay over $1,000 this season for a pair of your favorite designer's pumps and only to turn around and have them be outshined by another pair in less than 6 months.

A number of factors seem to be at play in this equation. Just how lavish and loud are these shoes? On one hand, a basic black satin Prada heel can be worn for a lifetime, despite their age, while pair of platform, patent leather Yves Saint Laurent booties can only be worn for so long before they're officially chisled into the tombstone for Fall 2008 (R.I.P). On the other hand, this season's platform, patent leather Yves Saint Laurent booties are only going to be available for so long (and quantities are limited) so it might behoove one to purchase a pair immediately. Then, 9 years from now when patent comes back around and people begin to question where you got your shoes you can answer, "Oh my, these old things? They're vintage."

So, what's your take on the issue?

Yves Saint Laurent

Christian Dior

Rodarte

Louis Vuitton

Prada